We've been testing 22 women's road bikes across various price points, on which we've racked up hundreds of miles – and we've come to some decisions. If you're in the market for a mid-range women's-specific road bike then check out these five, which for our money represent the best performance and value available between £1,000 and £1,500. In this category, Canyon's Endurace CF 8.0 WMN ended up top of the heap.
The BikeRadar Women's Road Bike of the Year Awards set out to find the best bikes in the different price categories, and the best overall bike. Each bike was put through its paces by BikeRadar's test team, and also by a panel of our readers.
- Presenting the BikeRadar Women's Road Bike of the Year Awards
- Do I need a women's bike?
- A buyer's guide to women's road bikes
Between £1000 to £1500, you're looking at carbon frames and forks, with most bikes featuring quality Shimano 105 gearing. You're also beginning to see more frame design features and technologies appearing to make bikes more comfortable for distances or aerodynamic for speed.
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Our overall winner, the Canyon Endurace CF 8.0 WMN, gave the best overall blend of performance and value for money, but the competition was very close in this category.
Looking for something a little cheaper? Have a look at our 'Best bikes under £1,000' test results.
All of the bikes in this shortlist feature women's-specific design. While individual companies will have slightly different approaches to developing bike geometry to suit female riders, overall this means that the bikes tend to be slightly shorter and with a more upright position than unisex alternatives. In practice, our testers appreciated the women's specific geometry, and in particular shallower drop handlebars and a shorter reach to the brakes came up several times. However, we want to emphasise that some women will find unisex bikes fit them better, and it's always a good idea to get a bike fit to ensure your bike is set up perfectly. Elements like brake reach can be adjusted on unisex bikes, and other parts can be swapped out to ensure the best fit possible.
Top 5 women's road bikes under £1,500
Winner: Canyon Endurace CF 8.0 WMN
- Price: £1,299 / AU$2,449 for the CF 7.0 or AU / Not available for the USA
- Weight: 7.83kg (size small)
- Frame: Carbon
- Fork: Carbon
- Gearing: Full Shimano 105
- Brakes: Shimano 105
Runner up: Liv Envie Advanced 2
- Price: £1,299 / $2,100 / AU$2,599
- Weight: 8.05kg (Medium)
- Frame: Carbon composite
- Fork: Carbon composite
- Gearing: Shimano 105 with Shimano RS500 crankset
- Brakes: Giant SpeedControl
Also consider…
Cannondale Synapse Carbon Tiagra 6
- Price: £1,349.99 / $1,840 / Australian pricing TBC
- Weight: 8.97kg (54cm)
- Frame: BallisTec Carbon
- Fork: Carbon/alloy
- Gearing: Shimano Tiagra with FSA Omega crankset
- Brakes: Tektro R741 dual pivot
Specialized Amira SL4 Sport
- Price: £1,500
- Weight: 8.35kg
- Frame: Carbon
- Fork: Carbon
- Gearing: Shimano 105 withFSA Gossamer Pro crankset
- Brakes: Axis 2 dual-pivot
Merida Scultura 4000 Juliet
- Price: £1,350 / Not available in the US or Australia
- Weight: 8.46kg (52cm)
- Frame: Carbon
- Fork: Carbon
- Gearing: Shimano 105 with Shimano RS500 crankset
- Brakes: Merida Road Pro
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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